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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Hello! Welcome to my blog! It is Sunday and time for an inspirational quote.

Todays quote is from Sheri Dew and it is on influence. I often think that society is confused about the meaning of being influential, but this quote expresses what I think is the true meaning. With Mother’s Day quickly coming upon us, I would like to thank all the influential women out there that truly know that being influential does not entail elevating self, but rather, lifting others. Sheri Dew is the President and CEO of Deseret Books. She wrote an article on the Influence of Mothers. A shortened version of that article is below, but you can read the whole version

“As a tribute to the highest, noblest calling a woman may receive, I share five truths about mothers.

Truth #1: Motherhood is a sacred trust from God.

The destiny of mankind is in the hands of mothers. This is not hyperbole. The proverb, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6) is more than a formula; it is reality. Mothers not only perpetuate the human race, they raise up the next generation...God has placed the well-being of His children in the hands of mothers.

Truth #2: We tend to define motherhood as maternity, but the word "mother" has layers of meaning.

Eve was called "the mother of all living" before she ever bore a child. Mother is the word that best describes the essence of who we are as women. It defines our identity, our divine nature and the gifts with which we have been endowed.

In reality, all women are mothers. We all need the nurturing touch of the mother who bore us and the "mothers" who bear with us. One of the greatest blessings of my life has been the privilege of learning from marvelous women — beginning with my mother and grandmother, but including others who have taught me things I would have never grasped on my own. They have made all the difference.

Truth #3: Mothers can do more than any others to cure the problems that exist in our society.

There is no better place to teach integrity or compassion or the virtue of virtue. Perhaps that is why President Gordon B. Hinckley called women the "one bright shining hope in a world that is marching toward self-destruction" (One Bright Shining Hope, Deseret Book, 1)

Truth #4: Satan is real, and he has declared war on women.

The adversary understands full well that those who rock the cradle are strategically positioned to rock his diabolical empire. Thus, today his destructive myths about women and mothers abound. Here are just three:

Myth #1: Men are more important and have all the power, so if women want to have influence they should be more like men.

Myth #2: A woman's value is based solely on size and shape.

Myth #3: The only worthwhile validation comes from outside the home, and thus, motherhood is a waste of any talented woman's time.

Too many women have bought these lies. Our culture is disintegrating at the speed of light, and regrettably, the female gender is doing its share of the damage. Sleazy women who flaunt their indiscretions jam the airwaves and monopolize magazine covers.

Other distortions are equally troubling. One prominent magazine annually publishes its "100 Most Powerful Women" cover story. Almost every woman mentioned is a politician, entertainer or CEO. I mean no disrespect to any of these women. What I dispute is the distortion that in order to have influence, a woman must have money, fame or a title. That is a lie!

External validation has short-term value at best. It's difficult to hug an award. No one from the office will call on Mothers Day to thank you for changing their life. There world's praise pales when compared to the joy of family.

Truth #5: Mothers have more influence than they realize.

Women are the leaders of leaders. Who has more influence on a man than his wife? Or on children than their mother? The word that best describes leadership by a woman is mother. Is there any influence more enduring than a mother's shepherding of her children along the path towards exaltation?

Mothers are always teaching, often in simple ways...A mother's voice is unlike any other because a mother's influence is endless.”

Friday, April 26, 2013

Hello! Welcome to my blog! This year, the weddings started early. I am big on giving presents that are unique, and I have a reputation now for giving survival kits. I do have another wedding survival kit theme coming soon.... but first, let me show you this one.

The theme of this survival kit was inspired by all those fairy tales that end with the saying - "and they lived happily ever after". It would be nice to live happily ever after, and the reality is you can, but it will take work - hence the survival guide on how to do that.

I came up with all sorts of story like sayings and I bought some handy household items to go with those sayings. I made a tag for each item that also had some marriage advice in the pocket that went with the particular topic I was going for. Let's go through them.

1. Item I purchased - CLOCK - saying to go with it:

Once upon a time there was a young prince and princess who fell in love and got married. Their love was so grand, their love was so divine, they promised each other to uphold that love throughout all TIME.

2. Item I purchased - FLASHLIGHT/LAMP - saying to go with it:

Let light reign over dark by continually rekindling your spark.

3. Item I purchased - CUTTING BOARD - saying to go with it:

All great kingdoms face an evil threat. The enemy will indeed attack, but a strong kingdom will fortify and protect.

4. Item I purchased - FORK LIFTER - saying to go with it:

The greatest heroes and heroines are those who rescue another by lifting them to higher ground.

Royal treatment is bestowed when appreciation and gratitude are made known.

Each tag is made from an 8 1/2 x11 piece of card stock. One piece of paper makes two tags. The bottom is folded up to make a pocket. The edges are sewn to hold it together. The tags make a booklet after the gift is opened. The title page I attached to the outside of the present. It is the only page without a pocket.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I have a glass cutting board that has been screaming for a while now for me to do some sort of makeover to it. It used to have a black backing that wore out so I removed it.

I found some awesome wrapping paper at Winners/Homesense.

I love old newsprint!

So.... I cut the paper the size of the cutting board. I colored in a few red areas on the paper to go with the red accessories in my kitchen. Then I mod podged the paper to the cutting board. I did a few coats

of Mod Podge as it is a cutting board that I do wash and it always sits on my counter so it needs to be water proof. When everything was dry I took an exacto knife and cut the edges of the paper that were too large for the board. I added Mod Podge to those cut parts to seal the edges.

It has been a week now since I have made the cutting board. I was not sure how it would hold up - this was definitely a "try"al. So far so good. Keep in mind - I do not submerse it in water - but I do put it over my sink and wash it with a very wet cloth, striving not to get the back wet.

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About Me

I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister,
friend. I am a Christian. I love to create things! I am not a professional creator by any means, but I do like to "try" to create. I was raised on a cattle ranch. I love the country, but I love the (small) city too!
Thanks for visiting my blog!